Gold Eyed Girl
by kakarikozelda
Summary: When she saw a town with a need for a farmer, Annie jumped at the opportunity. A fresh life in a place no one has ever heard of is exactly what she needs. What she didn't expect was for such a sleepy little town to hold so many distinct personalities.
1. Beginnings (Edited)

She'd arrived in Oak Tree Town early on a bright and sunny day. It was like a fairytale's depiction of a little town surrounded by nature. Birds' sweet, pure melodies passed through the air, taking on the role of princesses singing for their princes. Butterflies moved from blossom to blossom - their wings, ball gowns dancing a waltz. Some might say starting a new life on a flawless day was an omen or a sign of good things to come. She wondered when the fairytale would break.

The young girl's name was Anastasia, but chances are she only ever told you to call her Annie. Though a beautiful name, she always felt that 'Anastasia' was much too aristocratic to suit the small-town girl that she was.

As she looked over at the land she now owned, Annie glanced back down at the "Farmers Wanted" pamphlet she'd received just last winter. The brown-haired girl smiled as she recalled the day she decided to help fill Oak Tree Town's need for new farmers. She had spent most of her time daydreaming about her new life ever since.

At the time she got the pamphlet, Annie was living the city life. When she was younger and living on her parents' farm in a town with a population of about twenty, maybe thirty, the big city seemed so exciting. It was only after she lived there herself that she realized city living wasn't everything movies and TV shows made it seem to be. Not long after Annie moved to the city, she yearned for the quiet life surrounded by nature that she enjoyed as a youth. But she couldn't go back to the town she grew up in. She was too used to it, and she felt like she didn't have a place there, even though everyone else in town had found theirs. So when she saw that Oak Tree Town had a need for farmers, Annie finally found the place where she could actually be part of the town, not just a resident.

"Eda, this is our new farmer," the sound of Veronica's voice snapped Annie out of her thoughts, the young farmer's head whipping away from staring at the land she'd live and work on soon, to face who she was talking to.

"Well, I'm so glad to meet you!" Eda was one of few people Annie had met who truly seemed to mean that wholeheartedly when they said it.

Annie couldn't help but smile at Eda's true friendliness. It wasn't something she'd experienced very often at all in the city. "I'm happy to meet you as well, and excited to learn from you." The elder farmer had offered to teach Annie until Annie's own farm was prepared for her to live on it. Growing up on a farm, Annie was already fairly knowledgeable on the subject of farming, but perhaps she could learn from someone who had spent decades in Oak Tree Town.

"Oho, then I will be sure to teach you all I can!"

Veronica turned back to Annie, "Yes, Eda will teach you and has offered to let you stay with her until your own farm is ready. That should be in about a week." A week was more than Annie expected to be waiting, but at least she knew she had a kind person to stay with.

After Veronica took her leave, Eda headed toward her house and said, "Come in, come in, child. It's not yet warm out enough to be standing around outside! Please, make yourself at home. After all, this will be your home for the next few days!"

"Do you live here alone?" Annie inquired.

"Oh yes, ever since my grandson moved to the city it's just been me here," Eda responded.

"Funny, the city is where I came from. I was raised on a farm though."

"Really? Well then, there will only be so much I can teach you I suppose!"

"You've been farming longer than anyone I've met. I'm sure I could learn plenty from you!" Annie made Eda smile. She looked at a photo the elderly lady had on the wall. It appeared to be the grandson Eda had mentioned. Annie wondered inside what Eda's grandson was like. She hoped he was sure not to ignore his grandmother, and called or visited often. Eda deserved people to be kind to her, for how kind she was to a stranger like Annie.

Annie turned away from the picture on the wall as Eda began to speak again. "I'm sure you're very tired from traveling as far as you have today. Let's wait to get started until tomorrow morning." Eda gave Annie a quick tour of the home then headed off to bed.

With a yawn, Annie got into her temporary bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **First of all, thank you for reading my story! This chapter was mainly introductory, I promise it will get more interesting (and longer) along the way! It's been a while since I've written any fanfiction, but I'm hoping my vocabulary and overall writing skills have improved since then. Also, this will be a romance story, but I'll be keeping who she ends up with in the end a mystery. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the story to come!**


	2. Unfamiliar Faces

The sun slowly began to rise, creating that familiar morning blue sky. Dawn of the third day of Annie's new life in Oak Tree Town. Eda had shown her quite a bit the day prior, and Annie actually did learn things from her about Oak Tree Town's soil and how to deal with its' weather patterns.

Annie woke to hear an unfamiliar male voice speaking to Eda in the other room. Apparently someone named Giorgio had come to visit Eda, but also to meet the new farmer in town. Upon hearing this, the young girl jumped out of bed to make sure she wasn't unkempt before Eda inevitably called for her to introduce herself.

Sure enough, Annie soon heard Eda's aged feminine voice, "Annie, there's someone who'd like to meet you!"

Annie gave herself a last look over in the mirror before walking out. She wanted to make a good first impression on everyone she could. Not getting along with people, or feeling like they disliked her, frustrated Annie to no end. She exited her room and gazed upon the man she was to be introduced to. He seemed to be more interested in fashion than she expected anyone in this town to be. Handsome, but not Annie's type.

"My name is Giorgio, I run a farm in this town," the man greeted Annie, "I imagine you have heard of me. I am rather well known in the glamorous world of farming."

Annie looked at him quizzically, unsure if that was a joke or not. "I suppose my fame has yet to meet its full potential," Giorgio stated with a small shrug when Annie didn't respond. He seemed a bit dramatic, but not really in a bad way. Annie liked him so far.

"I'm Annie, I'll be running my own farm soon, after Eda shows me the ropes for a bit."

After a bit more small talk, Giorgio left Annie and Eda to start their day.

"Now, there isn't much I can show you today that I didn't yesterday-"

"Heya Granny! I'm here to help ya this mornin'!" Eda was interrupted by a young male approaching her farm, "Who's this?" He asked when he got closer.

"Fritz, hello! This is Annie, she's going to be a farmer here! I'm teaching her how to farm in Oak Tree Town for the next few days."

Fritz shook Annie's hand vigorously, "Well good to meet ya! I'm a farmer too! Anyway, I'll let you get to trainin' Annie here. See ya later Granny!"

Eda waved goodbye with a bright, wide grin on her face as Fritz left.

"I thought your grandson moved to the city," Annie inquired of Eda after Fritz was out of earshot.

"Oh, yes, he did. Fritz isn't truly my grandson, but he's become like one to me," Eda was happy to speak about the young boy who she was clearly close to, "He's always been one to help me out when I couldn't handle all of my farm work myself."

Eda's comments on Fritz made Annie have a good opinion of the young man. From Annie's observations, it seemed Eda was treated with the utmost respect in Oak Tree Town, as she no doubt deserved having worked hard for decades.

"Now then, where were we... Oh, yes, there's someone I'd like you to meet!" Eda began to walk toward the barn, but Annie was hesitant to follow.

"Uh, there's someone... in the barn..?" She was a bit worried. Was Eda alright?

The elderly woman chuckled, "Yes dear. Follow me, you'll see!" the young girl listened to Eda and walked to the barn, still concerned.

"This is Hanako, my prized cow!" Eda beamed at the animal, "Go on, pet her! She's a friendly girl."

Annie was, of course, used to cows. She grew fond for them as a child on the family farm, and often felt there weren't enough people out there who loved cows as much as they did dogs or cats. Or even pigs, for that matter. Why did so many people like pigs?

"Oho ho, she likes you! I'll bet you know the importance of showing cows, and all of your animals, love and care every day. I've only had Hanako for a few years, but she and I have been through a lot together. Every time I've had a health problem, she's been there to comfort me."

Annie smiled, "That's because she knows how much you love her, and she wants to give it back." The brunette could understand why Hanako would grow attached to Eda. Who wouldn't? Eda was one of the sweetest people Annie had met. She already felt like she had a growing bond with the elderly woman. If everyone in town was anything like her Annie would have an incredibly peaceful time living here.

"So I suppose that'll be all I can show you about my farm. Why don't you take care of those turnips we planted yesterday, and go have a look around town? I don't think you've even left my farm yet, have you? Go introduce yourself to some of the townsfolk, I'm sure you'll like them all!"

That was true, Annie hadn't yet left Eda's farm. It was because she was nervous. Meeting the people she'd be seeing all the time from now on was a bit scary. She hoped everyone would be like Eda, but how likely is that?

"Yes, I guess you're right. I do have to see what the town is like. I didn't see much of it on the way here," Annie's reluctance to go was clearer than planned.

"Oh, you'll be alright! You're a sweet girl, everyone will see that! Now you'd best get on your way before it starts to get dark out," Eda reassured her 'trainee'.

* * *

Once in town, Annie finally got a chance to stop and have a good look around. The town was prettier than she thought it would be, even in her daydreams. As she was backing up to get a better view of one of structures, she bumped into a tall man.

"Ah, pardon me, miss," the man apologized, then studied Annie's face, "I've never met you before, I don't think. Are you the new farmer those in town have been talking about?"

"Ah, oh, uh, yes! Yes. That's me," Annie stumbled over her words. Wow. He was handsome. And definitely Annie's type, although he appeared to be about ten years her senior. He was very tall with dark hair and an attractive face. Dressed to the nines, too. This man was the very definition of 'debonair'.

"I am very pleased to meet you madam. My name is Klaus. And yours?"

She almost wondered if she should introduce herself as Anastasia to such an elegant looking person. "It's Annie. Nice to meet you too!"

"Annie. A lovely name. Well, I must be going. Business to attend to, and all that. I hope I will see you again soon, Annie."

Annie sighed as she watched him walk away. Was she blushing? She was probably blushing. First day meeting her neighbors and she already has a crush on one of them. "What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic," she muttered quietly to herself. Or so she thought.

"Is that so?" Annie heard an amused voice from behind her, making her jolt to look at who it was. She saw a beautiful blonde woman who looked to be about Klaus' age. "Klaus has caught your eye, has he?"

Annie laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, uh, I guess he is kind of handsome.." So much for making good first impressions.

"No need to be embarrassed, we're both ladies. He is quite handsome. Besides, I write love stories. Hopeless romantics are my forte."

"Really? You're an author?"

"Indeed, I am. My name is Iris. And from what I'm told, you are Annie?"

News travels quick in this town. A new farmer must be a big deal, Annie had learned. "Yep, that's me!"

"Glad to meet you!" Iris glanced at the sky, "It's getting dark, we should both get home. Especially yourself. The mountain trail can get hard to see at night. I will see you later, Annie. Don't let thoughts of Klaus keep you up all night. Farmers need their rest!"

Annie let out an embarrassed chuckle and waved goodbye to Iris. So far so good, she thought as she walked to Eda's home. The townspeople were nice, and the town itself was lovely. Her confidence that she made the right choice in starting a life here grew more today than ever before.


	3. You've Got A Friend in Me

Today was the big day. Annie was going to finally move into her own home and begin work on the farm. Over the past few days, she had spent her time doing chores for Eda and seeing more of the town. She met quite a few of the residents, but not all, having chosen to tackle the task of presenting herself to her neighbors slowly. Meeting every single person in the span of just three or four days would have been exhausting, no matter how small Oak Tree Town was.

Veronica arrived at Eda's house to retrieve Annie and introduce the new farmer to the place where she'd be living and working from now on.

"Here it is! There's some basic furnishings inside for you," Veronica pointed in the direction of the little house, "It is an older home, so it may need fixing up. Shall we go inside?"

On that, Annie could agree. Once inside, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly took a week to prepare. The house looked like it hadn't been given a single repair since about 1930. The furniture Veronica provided was, thankfully, newer than the house. At least that was a plus.

Annie avoided voicing her inner thoughts so as not to insult the Guild Master. "Thank you Veronica, It'll be good for now. But I think I'll have to speak to Gunther about giving it a bit of TLC..."

"Yes, I thought you might. I'm sure he'll be glad to help you turn it into a more suitable home. Well, I'll be taking my leave now. I look forward to seeing you turn this land into a magnificent farm. Good day!"

* * *

Her first farm day had turned into a long one. Just tilling the fields nearly wore Annie out, but she managed to plant and water some turnips, a staple of springtime crops, without passing out.

Iris had been right about Annie's thoughts. Throughout her work, the young farmer's mind repeatedly found itself stuck on Klaus. What was he like? What's his profession? And, her least favorite, does he have a girlfriend, or even a wife? _No, no. Iris would have said something if he was already spoken for ...right?_ Annie didn't have much experience in the world of romance. The nineteen year-old had had a few 'boyfriends' before, but they hardly could have been considered serious relationships. Only flings that just about everyone has during high school. A sigh escaped the farmer's lips, and she turned back to her work.

"I'm exhausted and starving. That's not an ideal state for a farmer to be in..." Annie spoke aloud to herself, something that had become a habit when she was alone. She recalled that she saw a sign for a restaurant near the guild. Why not treat herself to a nice meal to end her first day of farm work?

Annie strolled to the restaurant, begging it to be open. The trek from her farm to the center of the town was a lengthy one, and not a trip she wanted to waste. "Okay," she muttered all but silently as she caught her breath outside of the restaurant, "move getting a horse to the top of the to-do list."

The brunette entered the building, eager to satisfy her growling stomach. The first thing she caught sight of was the man standing at the counter. He had two young girls before him, who were clearly more interested in the cute boy who runs the place than the cuisine itself. It was obvious to Annie that he was irritated, but keeping a cool, friendly demeanor so he wouldn't come off as rude. The girls looked too young for him to be interested. Maybe sixteen and seventeen, whereas he was likely in his early to mid twenties. Annie remembered being sixteen, when any handsome face instantly became a new crush. And, heh, not much had changed since then.

Annie patiently waited in line, though she couldn't help but eavesdrop on the girls talking to the restaurant employee. But it doesn't count as eavesdropping if you're right there, right?

"So you lived here with your grandfather?" the girl with long blonde hair asked in that typical excited, flirty teenager way. At that age, you don't quite have a knack for subtlety in how you say things yet.

"Yeah, I did. I try to run things how he did, with his recipes," he replied in a friendly way, but not like someone who was keen on extending this conversation longer than necessary.

"Awww, that's so sweet, Raeger!" The other girl, a redhead, exclaimed.

"Erm, thank you. If you wouldn't mind ordering now, there's a line forming..." Raeger spotted Annie waiting behind the teens.

Just then, the restaurant's door swung open again. "Hiya Raeger!" Fritz greeted in a jolly fashion, "Ooh, surrounded by ladies yet again! Man, you just can't keep 'em away, can ya!"

The pair of teen girls blushed, seeing they had been "figured out", and politely excused themselves to leave the restaurant.

"Gee, thanks a lot Fritz. They were just about to order," Raeger's tone was somewhat scolding, but no one could get too angry at the ever-optimistic Fritz.

"Aw, I didn't say anything that wasn't true!" Fritz nudged Annie with his elbow, "This guy's constantly got pretty girls hangin' off him. Doesn't leave any for those of us unpopular guys! Girls even come from out of town, just to confess their love to ol' Raeger." Fritz cupped his hands next to his cheek and pretended to fawn over Raeger, causing the chef to let out an annoyed huff.

Annie giggled behind her hand. She could see why Raeger would be popular with the ladies, even if Klaus clouded her vision as of late.

Raeger couldn't exactly deny what Fritz had said about him. It was true, a portion of his clientele were girls that came to the restaurant mainly to see him. It got to the point that he'd gained a reputation as a playboy, which he did not care for. Sure, he'd had a few girlfriends, but not what he considered to be a substantial amount.

"Don't talk like that, you'll drive her away too," Raeger went back to business and turned his attention to Annie, "Can I help you, miss?"

Annie ordered a dinner and moved toward a table to wait for her meal.

"Mind if I sit with ya?" Fritz followed Annie.

"Of course not, please do," the brunette farmer replied, happy to have company.

"So how ya liking Oak Tree Town's people so far? Anyone caught your eye?" Fritz questioned, raising his eyebrows in a teasing manner.

Annie glanced behind Fritz at Raeger, who was intently focused on his cooking, and she smiled, knowing that's who Fritz was suggesting she might have a crush on. "No Fritz," Annie smirked then sipped her drink.

Fritz' eyes widened in feigned shock. He leaned forward and whispered to Annie, "You mean to tell me... you're immune to Raeger's charms?! Impossible!" Fritz made Annie laugh, something was getting very good at.

"Well, there may be someone else I have my eye on..." Annie played coy, looking up at the chandelier above them.

"Who is it? You gotta tell me! I am your best friend, after all."

Fritz' last sentence gave Annie that warm feeling, the kind only the unconditionally nice type of people can give you. They _had_ become fast friends since Annie moved to town, although Fritz was getting a little ahead of himself saying they were best friends already.

"Wanna know my secret? Promise not to tell?" Annie's voice was playful. Fritz gave an excited nod in response. Annie held a pensive expression just long enough to build her companion's curiosity, then continued, "Mmm... I'd better not. A lady has to have her secrets, you know."

"Aw, c'mon that wasn't fair. Messing with me like that," Fritz frowned for a moment, but quickly reverted back to his usual cheerful demeanor. Nothing seemed to bother him for long. "Well I'll find out soon enough, just you wait! After all, there's only like four or five single guys in this town. It won't be hard to narrow it down."

 _Four or five?_ That may not have seemed like much to Fritz, but Annie thought she had moved to a sleepy old town that contained mostly older married couples. She was surprised by this revelation. That many single young people is a lot for a town in the middle of nowhere.

"Is there really that many? Who are they?" Annie wasn't just asking because she wanted to know who potential suitors could be, she was genuinely curious about these people who were spending their youth in a small town, like she was.

"Let's see... there's Raeger, you've met. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a girlfriend right now, but who knows with that guy. Klaus, Mistel... I guess technically I'd count," Fritz chuckled, sure he wasn't the one who Annie was crushing on. He wanted a girlfriend, but he never suspected any girls of liking him. "Oh yeah, and Nadi. He's the guy who does landscaping for Elise. Not too friendly all the time, though."

"Huh, a lot of young people around, eh?" Annie mused.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's nice here, for people who don't like a loud, boring city life."

"Ha, I can understand that feeling. The city isn't as glamorous as it seems when you aren't there. But it sounds like you know that already."

"Ick, I visited once. That was plenty! Who could stand the smell of car fuel 24/7?" Fritz' disgust with the city showed on his facial expression.

"I don't think anyone can..." Annie said, beginning to get lost in thought about the life she left behind. It had been more fast-paced than life in Oak Tree Town, but it got to be mundane doing the same office job day after day. And Fritz was right, it did smell like fuel. Constantly.

Annie snapped out of her thoughts when Raeger arrived at the table with their meal. She and Fritz continued friendly conversation as they ate, then parted ways to return to their individual farms for the evening. Annie ended her night happily. She'd found a good friend in Fritz.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope those of you reading are enjoying the story so far. I know Nadi doesn't arrive until later in the game, but I wanted to have him already here, for convenience. Thank you for reading, and thank you to you who reviewed! I appreciate it!**


	4. Lavender

Annie wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she finished up the day's farm work. She looked upon her fields with satisfaction. The farmer had a fair number of crops growing at this point, and the land was shaping up to look like a real, fully operational farm. All she needed was a barn with a few cattle in it, and her budding farmland would be able to blossom. The farmer recalled that Gunther had mentioned that when she chose to fix up her house, he'd include a barn for free. The carpenter was a friendly, generous person. The kind you were glad to know, even if you weren't terribly close to them.

Her work being complete for the day, Annie had plenty of daylight left to take a trip to the Carpenter's Shop. On her way down the mountain, she noticed a familiar figure on a stroll. It was Klaus. The man she barely knew. And the man who'd occupied her imagination from the moment she met him.

The farm girl took a few nervous steps toward him. She wasn't sure how to begin a conversation with him. Knowing herself, it would start out awkward no matter what. Then, she suddenly broke her silence. Or, rather, she stepped on and broke a twig. Which inadvertently broke the silence. Annie winced as she lifted her foot off of the small-but-noisy stick.

"Ah, Annie! Good afternoon," Klaus turned at the sound and greeted its source.

Annie showed a polite smile, trying to hide her embarrassment, "H-hello, good afternoon to you too."

"I was just out for a bit of a walk. I enjoy observing the flowers and herbs whose scents I try to imitate in my perfumes. To get back to nature, so to speak," Klaus spoke as properly as ever, "Would you care to join me, if you can spare the time?"

"Yes, I'd be glad," Annie tried to play it cool, but she just barely contained her smile. The beginning of their first real conversation was going well! And, more importantly, it wasn't horrifyingly awkward.

Annie fell in step beside Klaus. He led her to a purple flower, one she recognized very well.

"Lavender," Klaus started, "It is one of the most difficult aromas to replicate. So dignified, yet delicate and calming." The dark-haired man knelt down to pluck one of the flowers from the ground, and handed it to Annie. She pressed the blossom gently to her nose, taking in its familiar essence.

"I grew up with this scent all around me," Annie reminisced in a soft voice, her eyes wistful as she gazed upon the small lavender stalk, "My mother loved it. She kept as much lavender on the farm as she could."

"Your mother has excellent taste," Klaus spoke as they began to continue their walk, "You grew up on a farm?"

"I did. I don't mean to brag, but my parents are the best in their area," Annie said with a small smirk, "Unfortunately," she continued, "that didn't really leave me with anything to do where I lived. All of the necessary occupations were taken care of."

"I see. Is that why you chose to relocate to Oak Tree Town?"

"Well, sort of. I had moved to the city for about a year and, in short, hated it. I knew I couldn't go back to where I grew up, so as soon as I got the pamphlet about this town needing a farmer, I sent in an application." Annie was surprised how easy it was becoming to talk to Klaus. He was so refined and spoke with such etiquette, he could easily make himself appear above others. But he didn't. Klaus was cordial and he had a certain tenderness about him. Annie remained a little nervous, but comfortable in his presence.

Klaus nodded slowly, though he wasn't familiar with the city aside from the fact that people from Oak Tree Town who had been there didn't care for it.

"I have not been to the city myself, but I cannot say I've heard good things," Klaus replied to Annie.

Annie gave a light laugh, "Yeah, it doesn't seem well liked amongst people who prefer the country."

Klaus retrieved a pocket watch from his jacket, checking the time. "Ah, I'm afraid it is time I must be getting back to work. I enjoyed having your company this afternoon, and I hope that you will join me again soon."

"I hope so too," Annie spoke more quietly than she meant to, growing shy at the perfumer's words, even if they weren't particularly romantic.

The pair parted, Klaus back to his home, and Annie to the Carpenter's to discuss her much-needed home renovation.

* * *

Klaus entered his brick home, fully absorbed in his thoughts. He was well aware he had the beginnings of feelings for Annie, but he tried to deny it and push the notion away. As far as he was concerned, there was no chance that any romantic advances on his part would prove successful. The brunette farmer was several years younger than him. Which didn't really bother _him_ , seeing as it wasn't Annie's youth he was attracted to. But he just couldn't see a younger girl taking interest in a fussy thirty-two year old man like himself.

The perfurmer exhaled and turned his complete attention to his work. For some reason, he felt inclined toward working with lavender today.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Full disclosure, I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to perfume.**


	5. Deux

"And, as promised, a complimentary barn for Oak Tree Town's newest farmer!" Gunther enthusiastically directed Annie to a brick building with a cerulean blue roof.

"Thank you so much, Gunther!" Annie looked over the structure. It was attractive and complemented her house well, not your typical bright red wooden barn. "I really appreciate it."

"My pleasure," Gunther grinned underneath his copper mustache, "I'll see you later, now. Have a good day!"

Annie raised her hand to the air in a good-bye wave as Gunther strode away.

Not long after Gunther had left, Annie spotted the shorter figure of Eda approaching her farm with what appeared to be Hanako in tow. Annie tilted her head quizzically. _Does Eda take her cows out on walks?_ She knew Eda gave her livestock the best of care, but cows needing walks wasn't something Annie had heard of before.

"Eda, hello!" Annie welcomed the elderly woman, "What'cha up to?"

"Gunther told me he was planning to build you a nice new barn, so I brought you a little gift," Eda reached up to pet Hanako's face, "I want you to have Hanako. These days I just can't keep up with both crops and livestock."

"Well, that's no little gift," Annie joked before her expression turned over to concern, "But are you sure? I could just come over and help you out with her when you need it."

"No, no. I've made up my mind. Hanako needs full care every day, and you need a cow to get you started!" Eda wasn't having an easy time giving up the cow, but Hanako deserved to be in hands that could give her the attention she needed.

"Then I'll do my best," Annie made the promise sincerely as Eda handed her Hanako's lead rope.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, after Annie finished up giving Hanako a good brushing, she heard the subdued _vvvt-vvvt_ of her cellphone vibrating in her backpack. She retrieved her phone from the forest green, cotton rucksack and read the message awaiting her.

It was a text from Iris, reading: "Hello Annie! I'm having a few of the girls from town over tonight to catch up. You should come as well, to get to know them better!"

Annie smiled at Iris' kindness in extending an invite to her. She gathered her things and headed inside to change into an outfit more presentable than the work clothes she'd worn all day.

* * *

As the sun neared the end of its trip toward the horizon, a mahogany-haired farmer stood outside Iris' door, uncertain if her perpetually soft knocking had been heard, until the door swung open to reveal an elegantly tall blonde.

"You came!" Iris' smile shone in the last remaining sunlight of the evening, "Glad to have you with us." Annie stepped into the home at Iris' invitation, entering a room that contained a handful of the young women who resided in Oak Tree Town.

"Annie, you may have met them before, but I'd like to introduce you to Angela, Agate and Lillie." Iris indicated who was who with a gesture of her hand as she listed their names.

Annie lifted her hand in a reserved little wave and uttered a quiet "Hello." She wasn't always too introverted, but greeting multiple new faces at once is a formidable task in just about anyone's eyes.

"I'll go put on some tea, be back in a sec," Iris sauntered into the kitchen, leaving her guests to talk amongst themselves.

"So you're Annie, the new farmer," Agate said, less a question than a statement. The slender park ranger spoke with a light Australian accent, one that had faded almost entirely in years away from her birthplace, but still clung to the edges of her words as a subtle reminder of her roots.

"Yeah, I moved here about ten days ago," Annie replied politely.

"Ohhkay, as much I'm sure Annie's _dying_ to tell the tale of how she just moved here and how much she's liking the town for probably the hundredth time this week," Lillie groaned from the couch across from Agate, having already heard the "tale" herself, prompting a giggle from Annie and mock offense from Agate, "let's get to some real conversation."

"Well then, what do you want to talk about, Lillie?" Agate questioned the energetic younger girl, a single eyebrow raised.

"Y'know, the kinds of things you only talk about in groups of girls like this. Hair, clothes..." Lillie took a moment to wiggle her brows up and down, "Boys."

"Oh, but I'd be quiet if I were you, for fear your sweet Mistel might hear you," Agate teased the weather girl.

Iris returned to the room, kettle and teacups neatly arranged on a tray, and chuckled at what she heard, "He's not here. I told him he had to go to a friend's house for the night." Iris was well aware of Lillie's crush on her younger brother, but she didn't mind it at all. Lillie was a kind girl, well-liked throughout town, and Mistel's older sister would have no qualms should the pair end up a couple. If Lillie ever told him how she felt, that is.

"Hey, I'm not the only one with a crush around here," Lillie turned the focus to her peers, "I'm sure you all have one of your own. How about you, Agate? Don't think I don't see you making eyes at Raeger," she pressed.

Agate smirked, "Aw, come on now, I'm only human. And certainly not the only one."

Lillie gave a conceding nod, unable to disagree. It was rare for anyone to claim Raeger wasn't a pretty face. Lillie moved her attention to the only one in the room who was actually in a real relationship, Angela.

"How're things with Nadi, Ange?"

"Ah, going quite well," Angela's creamy white cheeks flushed with a rosy pink hue while she spoke of her recently steady boyfriend, "He's really very sweet when you get to know him." The nurse sat pressed against the arm of the sofa, hair still tied up neatly in a bun, despite being off of work.

Iris showed Angela a warm smile, "I'm happy for you both. I'm sure we all are." The nurse wasn't too much younger than Iris herself, so she was glad that Angela may have found her 'special someone' before she got to that age where you started worrying when it would happen. Unless, of course, love wasn't a major goal in your life. In spite of her partiality to writing romance novels, Iris wasn't in much of a rush to get hitched. She didn't consider herself too old, like some might, either.

"That leaves Iris and Annie," Lillie's mouth formed a mischievous grin, "Go ahead. We all fessed up!"

Annie spoke first. "Otmar," her voice and expression combined were dead serious, "I think a man who runs his own business is sexy. Plus, I've always wanted a grand-daddy type. Like Hugh Hefner but with fewer blondes hanging onto his arms." Annie didn't break her deadpan facade once, a result of lifelong sarcasm that, at this point, no one who didn't know her well could be sure how to take.

The women in the room stared, forcing their jaws not to fall, until Annie finally let herself erupt into giggles.

"Wow, okay," Agate laughed, "You had me fooled for a second there."

Lillie took a sip of her tea. "Stay away from my grand-dad."

"Too late," the farmer quipped back.

Iris diverted her violet eyes to the delicate cup of milky tea she held in her hand, suddenly appearing very interested in it. She'd be the one they pestered next. There was no way the novelist was going to tell who she had grown to have feelings for. She certainly couldn't say anything in front of Annie. Iris' romantic personality didn't have the heart to get in the way of a smitten young girl's infatuation, no matter how much Iris cared for the man herself.

"Well, don't look at me. My love is my writing," Iris half-lied. The novels she wrote were her passion as of late. Only Mistel was more important.

"Aww, you two are no fun. You with your jokes, and you with your oh-so-noble 'my work is my love.'" Lillie rolled her eyes in a playful manner, "We'll get your crushes out of you yet. And if you really don't have any, well, we'll find you some!"

Annie chuckled softly and finished the last few drops of her tea. "Then I guess you'll be on the hunt."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **The ending of this chapter was edited about an hour after I published it, so it didn't seem like a "love triangle" was about to become the main plot line. It will be _there_ , but I personally don't care for making a love triangle the focal point of a story.**


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